In the not-too-distant future, Dan Fieghan, head coach of the Norwalk/Brien McMahon co-op hockey team, would like to elevate the program to the level of success from the 1980s, when both schools--they were once separate programs--were competing each year for supremacy in the FCIAC. Over that time, Norwalk also gained notoriety statewide, as it made two trips to the state title game, falling short in both.

While Norwalk/Brien McMahon has since taken a step back since its repeated success--the program has just one win over the last two seasons--Fieghan expects his team to take a significant leap forward this year.

Fieghan, who is entering his second season at the helm, is confident that a few early victories against the team's Division III counterparts can have a snowball effect and instill a winning mantra within the program.

"Sometimes a couple of losses will have a team forget what it's like to win, so if we can start the season with a bang and win a couple games right off the bat, it will get our guys firmly motivated, have the taste of victory in their mouth, and want to thirst for more of it," Fieghan said.

With the elimination of the FCIAC Holiday Tournament, Norwalk/Brien McMahon will play more games against Division III teams such as Housatonic-Northwestern and Newtown, and fewer against the ever-competitive FCIAC, which features state powers Ridgefield and St. Joseph--the Division II state champion from last year. It's a welcomed change for Norwalk/Brien McMahon which, being one of just two Division III teams in the conference, has found life quite challenging.

"It's a difficult challenge," Fieghan said, "but we go into it open-minded, believing that any hockey team can beat any hockey team on any given day. We're going to work hard for three periods and try to do so against every club."

Norwalk/Brien McMahon returns this year with nearly its entire promising roster intact. The team graduated just one senior and welcomes back an experienced core, led by senior defensemen Lucas Aubrey and Dylan Byrne, both of whom will serve as the team's captains. Junior defenseman Pat Odierno and junior forward Mike McRoy will be the team's assistant captains, while senior Daniel Diaz is expected to start in goal.

With the core of the team having played together for multiple seasons, Fieghan and his players realize that there's a sense of togetherness and he believes that the team's greatest asset is its relentlessness.

"We know that we play against some talented hockey teams and we know that no matter what happens, there's three periods and we don't give up," Fieghan, whose team will feature seven seniors, said. "That's something that we definitely say we're going to do for every game this season, is play hard for all three periods."

Fieghan explained that his goals for this season, along with winning more games, is to develop "each of these players into better hockey players and better young men as well, both on and off the ice."

"The young guys that are on this team have a tremendous amount of respect for the city of Norwalk and the schools they represent," Fieghan explained. "Every time they put that jersey on, they represent the city of Norwalk as well as their two schools."

Norwalk/Brien McMahon opens its season Dec. 18 with a matchup against New Fairfield/Immaculate at Danbury Ice Arena.